“I will give you my definition of a nation, and you can add the adjective ‘Jewish.’ A Nation is, in my mind, an historical group of men of a recognizable cohesion held together by a common enemy. Then, if you add to that the word ‘Jewish’ you have what I understand to be the Jewish nation.”
—THEODOR HERZL.
“Let us all recognize that we Jews are a distinct nationality of which every Jew, whatever his country, his station, or shade of belief, is necessarily a member.”
—LOUIS D. BRANDEIS
Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
This article is designed to put the reader in possession of information regarding the Jew’s own thought of himself, as regards race, religion and citizenship. In the last article we saw the thought which Jewish representatives wish to plant in Gentile minds concerning this matter. The Senate committee which was to be convinced was made up of Gentiles. The witnesses who were to do the convincing were Jews.
Senator Simon Guggenheim said: “There is no such thing as a Jewish race, because it is the Jewish religion.”
Simon Wolf said: “The point we make is this * * * that Hebrew or Jewish is simply a religion.”
Julian W. Mack said: “Of what possible value is it to anybody to classify them as Jews simply because they adhere to the Jewish religion?”
The object of this testimony was to have the Jews classified under various national names, such as Polish, English, German, Russian, or whatever it might be.
Now, when the inquirer turns to the authoritative Jewish spokesmen who speak not to Gentiles but to Jews about this matter, he finds an entirely different kind of testimony. Some of this testimony will now be presented.
The reader will bear in mind that, as the series is not written for entertainment, but for instruction in the facts of a very vital Question, the present article will be of value only to those who desire to know for themselves what are the basic elements of the matter.
It should also be observed during the reading of the following testimony that sometimes the term “race” is used, sometimes the term “nation.” In every case, it is recognized that the Jew is a member of a separate people, quite aside from the consideration of his religion.
First, let us consider the testimony which forbids us to consider the term “Jew” as merely the name of a member of a religious body only.
Louis D. Brandeis, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and world leader of the Zionist movement, says:
“Councils of Rabbis and others have undertaken at times to prescribe by definition that only those shall be deemed Jews who professedly adhere to the orthodox or reformed faith. But in the connection in which we are considering the term, it is not in the power of any single body of Jews—or indeed of all Jews collectively—to establish the effective definition. The meaning of the word ‘Jewish’ in the term ‘Jewish Problem’ must be accepted as co-extensive with the disabilities which it is our problem to remove * * * Those disabilities extend substantially to all of Jewish blood. The disabilities do not end with a renunciation of faith, however sincere * * * Despite the meditations of pundits or decrees of councils, our own instincts and acts, and those of others, have defined for us the term ‘Jew.’” (“Zionism and the American Jews.”)
The Rev. Mr. Morris Joseph, West London Synagogue of British Jews: “Israel is assuredly a great nation * * * The very word ‘Israel’ proves it. No mere sect or religious community could appropriately bear such a name. Israel is recognized as a nation by those who see it; no one can possibly mistake it for a mere sect. To deny Jewish nationality you must deny the existence of the Jew.” (“Israel a Nation.”)
Arthur D. Lewis, West London Zionist Association: “When some Jews say they consider the Jews a religious sect, like the Roman Catholics or Protestants, they are usually not correctly analyzing and describing their own feelings and attitude. * * * If a Jew is baptized, or, what is not necessarily the same thing, sincerely converted to Christianity, few people think of him as no longer being a Jew. His blood, temperament and spiritual peculiarities are unaltered.” (“The Jews a Nation.”)